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Hotel Manager Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hotel manager. Hotel managers usually study business, hospitality management, or health care administration. 57% of hotel managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,088 real hotel manager resumes to see exactly what hotel manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for hotel managers are the University of Nevada - Las Vegas and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
There are also many online hotel manager courses to help get the education required to be a hotel manager.
There are certain hotel manager certifications that you should consider. These hotel manager certifications include Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and Food Safety Manager Certification.
What education do you need to become a hotel manager?
What degree do you need to be a hotel manager?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a hotel manager?
- Business, 29%
- Accounting, 5%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for hotel managers
Hotel Manager Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Nevada - Las Vegas | 19.74% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 11.18% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.87% |
| Cornell University | 8.55% |
| Florida State University | 4.61% |
Best majors for hotel managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.6% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 21.1% |
| 3 | Health Care Administration | 6.5% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.1% |
| 5 | Management | 5.0% |
Best colleges for hotel managers
The best colleges for hotel managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A hotel manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hotel managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become hotel managers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for hotel managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hotel managers
The most affordable schools for hotel managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for hotel managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for hotel managers.
U
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hotel managers
The hardest universities for hotel managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for hotel managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for hotel managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hotel managers
The easiest schools for hotel managers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hotel manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for hotel managers.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
1,061
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
Average hotel manager salary by education level
| Hotel Manager education level | Hotel Manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,705 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $64,447 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,540 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,483 |
Hotel Manager Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025